A typical lever type electrical connector assembly includes a first connector which has an actuating or mating assist lever rotatably mounted thereon for connecting and disconnecting the connector with a complementary mating second connector. The actuating lever and the second connector typically have cam groove/cam follower arrangement for drawing the second connector into mating condition with the first connector in response to rotation of the lever.
A common structure for a lever type electrical connector of the character described above is to provide a generally U-shaped lever structure having a pair of lever arms which disposed on opposite sides of the first (“actuator”) connector. The lever arms may have cam grooves for engaging cam follower projections or posts on opposite sides of the second (“mating”) connector.
Such lever type connectors often are used where large forces are required to mate and unmate a pair of connectors. For instance, terminal and housing frictional forces encountered during connecting and disconnecting the connectors may make the process difficult to perform by hand. Some lever type connectors use slide members which are slidably mounted on the housing of the first or actuating connector for movement in a direction generally perpendicular to the mating direction of the connectors. First cam groove and cam follower means are provided between the mating assist lever and the slide members whereby pivotal movement of the lever effects linear movement of the slide members relative to the first connector. Second cam groove and cam follower means are provided between the slide members and the second connector whereby the connectors are mated and unmated in response to the mating assist lever and resulting translation of the slide member.
Some lever type connectors have “feedback” means between the actuating connector and the mating connector for rendering a tactile indication, and sometimes an audible indication, when the connectors are at least preliminarily mated.
Still further, some lever type connectors have a latch means to prevent the mating assist lever from rotating until the connectors are at least in their preliminary mated condition.
Heretofore, the feedback means and the latch means have been separate and distinct mechanisms, typically spaced from each other about the periphery of the mating connectors. These multiple components complicate the design of the connectors and increase the costs of manufacture. In addition, there is no guarantee that the mating assist lever can be safely actuated after the feedback. The present invention is directed to solving these problems by providing a unitary structure which performs a dual function of both providing a tactile feedback indication as well as a latch release means for the mating assist lever.